Esther Smith (Page-Wood)

• I am from a large family.  My grandmother had 53 grandchildren but made each one of us feel like we were the only one.
• I waited to have children until I was in my 30's and then had three in three years.  Insanely busy time but I'd do it over again in a heartbeat.
• I love being a grandmother
• I just celebrated my 45th wedding anniversary
• Betty Nagle introduced me to my husband.
• I went back to college after my children were in school and started a second career as a college professor.  
• I worked at Westerm Michigan Universary for 22 years and loved it
• We traveled with our children to 48 states and parts of Canada and Mexico and used the same vehicle for all those trips
• We still have that vehicle - 1978 Chevy Van.  It is part of the family.
• I drive a bright red 1990 Jaguar XJS sports car.  I love the shocked looks I get when people see an old lady rather than a mid-life crisis man get out of it.
• The longest I ever attended any one school was three years
• I moved to Saginaw the weekend before school started in 9th grade at South Junior High.  I knew no one there
• I will always be grateful to Betty Boissennault and Emily Caughey for asking me to join them for lunch that first day.  Lunch rooms are scary places for new kids.
• Mary Mahan was my college room mate at Michigan State.  We are still friends even though people said it would destroy our friendship
• I love living in Florida
• I love to sew and quilt
• I like mystery/who-done-it books and shows
• I use my iPhone all the time and sometimes even make or receive phone calls on it
• I remember when my parents went to their 50th class reunion.  In my memory they were a lot older than I am at the same point in life.
• I am responsible for producing newsletters for two organizations and am always relieved when they are done
• I have only been back to Saginaw a few times since 1972 when my parents moved away
• I can't understand how anyone likes reality shows on TV

I tag Betty Boissennault, Martin Shackelford, Steve Liskow, Carol Gillig

Don Ruppel

You know the old saying ?  "Be careful of what you ask for, you may get it", well you asked for it ! Here goes..

25 Things you didn’t know about me

1. I am an avid photographer, mostly nature photos, God has shown me so many beautiful things he has made. I started as a photographer on the AHHS newspaper staff
2. I am a past Division Captain, U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary
3. I NEVER sing in the shower ( can’t stand my own singing .. LOL )
4. Although there are several that I like, my favorite Ice Cream is Blue Moon
5. I retired after 43 years at GM, while there I wrote the Preventative Maintenance program in Microsoft Access for all the machines in the whole division world wide while learning Access.
6. I have 6 indoor cats after  inheriting 2 from my best friend that passed away
7. I put out about 250 pounds of “bird” feed a month ( wild Turkeys, Deer  and Raccoons eat a lot of it)
8.  I talk to myself a lot, who else would listen?  LOL  You’re only crazy if you get into arguments with yourself AND LOSE !! 
9. I miss having a drag strip nearby
10. In the 70's - 80's I was a Police Reserve officer in Saginaw and Zilwaukee,  being the only Reserve in Zilwaukee authorized to work alone, all others had to work as partners.
11. Love cheese, especially very sharp Cheddar ….well, Ok, I love most foods !  LOL
12. Although I never liked History Class, I find myself intrigued with some aspects of it now. I collect antique glass, have been on board “Old Ironsides” ( USS Constitution), rode in a steam train, flew in a Ford Tri-Motor, a B17 bomber, a DC3/C47 transport,  and actually flew a P-51 Mustang ( it handled like a dream ).
13. Back in the 70’s, after a tour of the Ice Breaker Mackinaw from stem to stern, I had lunch with several Admirals, Congressmen and the Secretary of the Treasury in the officer's mess.
14. After moving to Saint Charles in 2003 I now wear the “Saint Charles Stockings” …NONE
15. I have a weird sense of humor, often take what I read or someone says and see the funny side of it.  If someone would say “I have a rundown feeling”, I would think “You don’t have tire marks on your back”
16. I hate “Snobs”, people who think they are better than others.
17. I have difficulty talking to a group, so I tried a “trick” I had heard about … imagine the audience is naked, I was so shocked at what I “saw” I still couldn’t speak !!   LOL
18. In December 2014, after 67 years, I had my first PB&J !!
19. I was in the upstairs of my barn when I heard a noise and the barn shook a little like a strong gust of wind hit it and a piece of metal trim that was standing against the one wall slid sideways.  I thought rather jokingly “Was that an earthquake ?” … IT WAS I found out later on the news.
20. I live in the country but am not a NASCAR or Country Music fan.
21.  I get choked up at Veteran’s ceremonies, the US flag passing by and the sound of “Taps”.
22. I hate making lists of things about me, can’t think of things to say.
23. My favorite movie is 2001, a Space Oddesy.
24. I received my U.S. Coast Guard Coxswain rating with only one third of the training after putting our 41 foot patrol boat through a 45 foot opening SIDEWAYS without hitting anything.
25.  Still trying to locate my first new car, a 1967 Pontiac GTO convertible, still have the window sticker.

I challenge Gerry Schneider, Don Sutherland and Larry Lamb

Sharyl (Sherri) Spatz (Kusowski)

1. I have lived in Saginaw all my life.

2. Attended Hurley School of Nursing and received my RN.

3. Married the love of my life in 1969. Have two children and two grandchildren.

4. Have been a widow since 2006.

5. Love to travel. Travel buddies are six of my friends.  Have been to many of the Mediterranean countries, many Caribbean islands, England,Ireland, Scotland, France, Germany, Ceczh Republic, Egypt and Mexico.. My last adventure was an European river cruise. It was a fantastic trip and has to be one of my favorites. Am now planning a 21 day South Pacific cruise that will take me too Austrailia, New Zealand and the French Polynesia Islands ending in Hawaii.

6. Spend the winters in Florida. Rent a condo along with 2 of my close friends. The last 3 yrs we have rented in Port Charlotte. It is a great 3 bedroom/2 bath condo in Riverwood Golf Resort.(No, I do not golf!). Love the beach! I have rented in The Villages also and it too is a great place! My brother lives there so I do get there often in the winter.

8. Retired when my husband was ill but worked part time(when I wanted to) until 2 yrs ago. Now I am fully retires and loving it. I volunteer at a local food pantry weekly and love it!

9.Am in my church choir. Not because I'm a great singer but love the people I sing with.

10. Have a wonderful group of friends. Still connect with Marti Edwards frequently. Have been in a card club with the same group of friends and family for over 40 yrs.

11. Sold my home 4 yrs ago and now live in a condo. Love not having to worry about yard work etc.

12. I have a little Shih tzu. She is nine yrs old. She is the queen of the house!

13. Play Mah Jong weekly(no it's not like the computer game).

14. My friends and I do "Wine Wednesday,s". Go to different restaurants in the area.

15. Love to read( have a kindle), go to movies, shopping(yes I consider it a hobby) lol, spending time with family and friends.

16. My 22 yr old granddaughter lives with me( closer to SVSU). Love having her close. My 13 yr old grandson loves baseball and basketball and I love watching him compete. 

17. Am a Tiger fan. Going to a total of three games this summer. GO TIGERS!!!!!

18. Like NASCAR but don't follow it closely lately.

Don Schulz

Some things about me

The summer following graduation I met my future wife at the Music Box in Prudenville while I was on a double date with Jim Fedor and Sue Cooper.

My wife, Alice, is a 1965 graduate of West Branch HS.

We both graduated from CMU.

We were married in 1969 and have 3 daughters (42, 40, 33)

We have 5 grandchildrern ages 9, 8, 7, 6, and 5. (4 girls, 1 boy)

I was a career Army officer retiring after 22 years of service at the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.

While in the service we lived in Georgia, Kentucky, Texas, Missouri, Washington, Michigan, and Germany.

I served in Vietnam as an infantry platoon leader wiith the 101st Airborne Division.

While in Germany I supervised a program that tested whether geese could be used to guard Hawk missile sites (became an episode of Paul Harvey's The Rest of The Story radio program)

My last assigment in the Army was head of the Army ROTC program at MSU.

For my next career I supervised the scoring of math portions of standardized test for several states.

It was an intersting job were I discovered the equation 2+2=5 could receive full credit, partial credit or no credit depending on the state.

My wife was a teacher and we both retired in 2009. We currently live in Freeland, MI.

We bought my wife's family cabin in East Tawas that has been in her family for 85 years and spend most of our summer there.

During the winter we spend 2-3 months in Cape Coral, Fl

I enjoy anything my grandkids are involved in.

I look forward to an annual trip to Lake Simcoe Canada for perch fishing.

Alice and I enjoy biking, pickleball, swimming and being with friends.

I would like to tag fellow members of 1965 varsity basketball team.

Sandra Easlick (Moneypenny)

25 Things About Me - by Sandy Easlick Moneypenny

1.  I graduated from Michigna State

2.  I married Bob Kolesar, AHHS class of '64, in 1969 and divorced in 1978

3.  I lived in Boston for 2 years and Washington, DC for 7 years.

4.  I got a Masters from Geo Washington University

5.  I taught high school English for 5 years

6.  I married Gerry Moneypenny in 1979.  We are still married

7  I worked in computer sales for 5 years after teaching

8  I have lived in the San Francisco Bay Area for 36 years - currently in San Jose

9  I have been in financial services for 35 years

10 I own Wellspring Capital Management in Palo Alto, CA

11 I am still working and have no plans for retirement

12. I have two adopted children ages 25 and 30

13  I have no grandchildren

14  I have not been in Michigan since 1998

15 I love to ski

16 I love to travel - just returned from Italy and Croatia

17 I love to cook

18  I had bunion surgery 2 years ago

14 

Stephen Liskow

Twenty-five Things You Never Wanted to Know about Steve Liskow

1. My grandmothers were sisters, which makes my parents first cousins. Virginia was one of only 11 states where they could legally marry in 1942 before my father shipped out for World War II.
2. My generation has at least ten teachers, principals and school superintendents. The others are lawyers.
3. In spite of the family history, I didn’t even consider teaching as a career until my sophomore year of college, when I bailed on pre-dentistry.
4. Because people read to me so often when I was young, I still hear voices saying the words when I read. Some experts have told me that’s a problem, but I disagree.
5. I always wanted to play piano, but there wasn’t room for one in our house. I took violin lessons in fifth grade. Not quite the same.
6. I have a terrible sense of balance. I was the last kid in the neighborhood to ride a bike without training wheels.
7. My first live concert was the Muddy Waters Blues Band, and I’ve loved blues ever since. I got my first guitar a few weeks after that concert.
8. I loved golf when I was in high school, but broke a wrist in college and injured my back two years later. I haven’t played the game in about forty years now.  I loved racquetball in the eighties until that same back problem stopped that, too.
9. My first car was a ’63 GTO with a MASSIVE trunk, great for hauling stuff back and forth to college. Gas mileage sucked, but gas was only about 25 cents a gallon (remember that???).
10. My favorite summer job was operating a machine at A. T. Farrell after my freshman year of college. It was a night job with built-in overtime. I earned enough to pay the rest of my undergraduate college fees, including dorm residency.
11. I got my first guitar lessons from other guys who played in my dormitory at Oakland University. They were all terrific and asked me not to tell anyone they’d tried to help me.
12. I’m mildly dyslexic, but more with numbers than letters. I have to be very careful writing checks and always warned my students to check their test scores to be sure they got a 91 and not a 19.
13. I wrote five unpublished novels in the 1970s, then gave up writing and drifted into theater. One of those books became my six-year project at Wesleyan, and I self-published a radical re-write in 2014.
14. I acted, produced, directed, or designed for over 100 theater productions between 1982 and about 2009. I met my wife Barbara at an audition, and our 30^th anniversary will be 7/14/15.
15. In spite of theater and teaching, I’m still basically shy.
16. I love animals. I think I’ve lived with at least one dog or cat for 56 years of my life. The biggest stretch without a pet was during college.
17. I tried writing again after I retired from teaching because meeting Susie Woodman at our 2000 reunion gave me an idea for another book. It got over 100 rejections under four titles and through dozens of revisions. When I published it myself in 2013 as Blood On the Tracks, it won Honorable Mention in the Writer’s Digest Self-Published Novel Awards over 2800 entries.
18. I can’t wear polyester because it gives me a rash. The seventies were tough.
19. I still have over 200 neckties from when I taught English, but only wear a tie 5 or 6 6imes a year now.
20. I’m Facebook friends with over 70 of my former students. At least 50 of them are now teachers.
21. My daughter now runs my author’s website.
22. I write my early notes and ideas for a novel or short story with a fountain pen on looseleaf notebook paper. It works better. But for the actual writing, I use a computer and can type over 100 words a minute, some of them legible.
23. For years, people have thought I’m incredibly organized, but it’s not true. I’m just efficiently lazy.
24. I weigh roughly ten pounds more than I did when I graduated from Arthur Hill, but it’s distributed a little differently.
25. I read newspapers for the blind/visually handicapped Friday mornings on radio.

And I challenge/tag the following people:

Lloyd Anderson, Tim Kosinski, Susie Kaine Woodman, Betty Nagle-Cribbins, and Ray Schmick

Ross B. Thompson

25 things about me.  Ross B. Thompson

1. After HS joined the Navy and did two tours in Vietnam.  Home ported at Pearl Harbor.  That was cool!  Job in Navy was an FTG.  Fire Control Tech. Guns.  Worked on the electronics of the guns.  

2. Married Jan. 2, 1970 in The Netherlands.  Cindy is from Midland. Dad worked for Dow.

3. Two kids.  Marc 44, mailman in Frankenmuth,  Alicia 41, Nexteer PC&L Plt. 6

4. Always have been a car nut.  My high school car was a 58 English Ford Escort.  Found one 10 years ago     in Indiana and built a Pro Street Rod.   

5. We now own a total of 12 vehicles, and one Harley

6. Boated on the Great Lakes for 20 years.  Great times.

7. Sold boat, bought Motorhome.

8. Motorhome gets 6-8 MPG. Boat got 3500 ft. per gallon!

9.  Last winter were in Arizona for 7 weeks, Texas for 2 weeks, then Florida for 6 weeks. 

10.  Worked for SSG for 34 years.  Tool/Die Maker, Then salary as Troubleshooter and Buyer

11.. Three grandkids, 14, 10, 8.

12. Walk every morning for 4 miles

13. Think I'm in pretty good shape.  Healthy

14.Goal at AH was to get out.

15. Didn't go to college right away.

16. Through my apprenticeship started taking classes at Delta.

17.  Did finally graduate from college in 1994.

18. Have lived in Saginaw Twp. for the last 37 years.

19. Grew up near and attended North School

20. On the committee for the Old Town Motorfest (car show) that we put on in Old Town Saginaw on

      Hamilton St.  This year we are bringing in the Michigan Vietnam Wall for public display, July 19th

21.Looking forward to seeing many friends at the reunion.

22. Love Michigan summers.  Just not long enough.

23. Winters get longer every year.

24. Florida her we come!

25. Life is great!  Hope are classmates are doing well!

Tag.  Jim Major, Jim Klopf, Janice Thompson, John Nordstrom, Bob Coutz  

.

James Longhurst (Longhurst)

 Here goes:

1.  I still play the harmonica...not great but I have fun with it.

2.  Married to Lynn - going on 41 years

3.  Three of our daughters were valedictorians; we tease the fourth - our youngest - because she was salutorian.  They also are aware of my (stellar?) high school G.P.A.  Yikes.

4.  We had a husky/shepherd mix dog for 17 years.  We should have written a book on all the trouble "Dirty Sally" caused.  Now we have two cats - Stan and Tulip.

5.  I have facilitated a couple hundred racial healing seminars since the mid-90's.  Very challenging but rewarding experiences

6.  Won the WMU billiards championship once, beating Jim Bush in championship match.  Jim had won the championship the previous year. Still play pool whenever I can.

7.  I have love/hate relationship with Detroit Lions....mostly hate.  Man, they are frustrating.

8.  My very first date ever was in the fifth grade, when Susie Cooper and I went to the Daniel Theater to see the Walt Disney movie Perri - the squirrel.  She had to pay because I left my money home.

9.  One of the most exciting days in my life was playing in the YMCA basketball championships in Battle Creek in 1965 - and beating Detroit Fisher and then Benton Harbor (101-77, I think) in the finals.  We called ourselves Guppie's Globetrotters - Peters, Carlson, Guthridge, Way, Schirmer, Packer, Stymie, and the rest.

10.  In between games mentioned above, Mike Bordeaux and I bought a hamster in Battle Creek and let it loose on the gym floor.  We thought it would be great fun but it ran under the bleachers and nobody saw it.

11.  I used to be able to make a siren noise real loud and I did that once with Tim Brennan and Dick Stark and we got pulled over by the police who thought we had a illegal siren under the hood until we told him it was me.  He said, "Ok, Tarzan, let's hear you."  I let one loose and he just shook his head and told us to not do it anymore.

12.  I still provide clinical supervision to psychology doctoral interns.  I really love this work with kids and families at residential centers and our charter school in Detroit.

13.  One of my notable accomplishments in my undergraduate studies was that I used "double talk" to excuse students from classes at WMU.  I would go into the classroom during a class and in double talk let the instructor and class know that classes were cancelled for the day because of....(the double talk would then play its role).  My undergraduate G.P.A. was similar to my high school G.P.A.

14.  My first three cars were:  '65 Corvair; '68 Falcon; '73 Gremlin.  Pretty cool, huh?

15.  I coached a girls' premier level soccer team for four years.

16.  Jordan, our second oldest daughter, works for Disney and we LOVE going to Disney World and staying at the Pop Century Resort.  Getting married in September.

17.  Jamie, our oldest, is a physician in Gladstone and is expecting her fourth child due in February.  She did a television PSA with none other than Dr. Denny Herzog, a dermatologist from up in the U.P.and AHHS '66 grad.

18.  Abby, our youngest, graduated from U of M (Kirk's favorite school) with a 4.0 GPA and works for Kellogg's in Battle Creek.

19.  Jessie, our third oldest daughter, died in an automobile accident ten years ago in Australia as she was participating in a study abroad program with Albion College.  In her memory, a foundation was created with Albion College and the school/community of Albion to promote and provide mentoring services for children.  It is called "Jessie's Gift."

20.  My nickname "Jombie" was started at AHHS by Dick Tarte, Dick Peters, Kirk O'Keefe, Rich Carlson, Tom Packer, Denny Way, John Schirmer, and Jim Bordeaux.  It carried over to WMU and my fraternity Delta Upsilon and to the present day!

21.  I think I will stop here.  I will not be able to attend the reunion because our niece is getting married in Minnesota the same weekend and I am driving my mom (who lives in Alma) there.  I hope to catch up with Bruce and Marilyn Smith sometime this summer and also with Bill Zinck sometime soon.  Jim Reitler and I connected last summer and that was fun.  I hope everyone has a great time.

Kirk O'Keefe

My daughter has worked for Kellog for 20 years. Executive Asst. in the Philadelphia office! Kelly Barder.

I thought Jombie started when we wandered the streets late at night! With the "governor" Jim Adair!

Marilyn Snider

Twenty-five Things You Probably Don't Know About Me

1.  I am writing this on July 8, 2015.  This is a sad day for me, because my mother died today.  She was almost 101 years old.  She was a wonderful woman and I will miss her very much.  

2.  I have two children, Stacy and David.  Stacy has a 6 year old son, Gavin.  David's daughter, Drew Macy, is just two months.  

3.  I lived and worked in Michigan as a social worker and a teacher.  I retired from Lamphere Schools in Madison Heights, MI in 2005. 

4.  My husband's name is Paul Poret.  We have been married 10 years.  We met on a dating website, match.com.  When we married, I decided not to change my name to his.  I've been married three times and just couldn't bear the thought of changing my name again.  In the past I was completely incompetent when it came to choosing an appropriate husband and making a marriage work out.  Apparently my husbands were too.  Perhaps the third time is the charm, because I think I've got a keeper now!  And I'm so glad about that.  

5.  I attended 6 different universities in the state of Michigan.  I got the B.S. from Michigan State University in 1969.  Then in 1975 I graduated from The University of Michigan with a MSW. I returned to Michigan State in 1992 for my teaching certificate.  In addition to these two, I have taken courses at four others.  I'm retired, so I do not have to worry about ordering transcripts from so many places anymore.    

6.  Our home is on a golf course and I enjoy playing golf.  I enjoy the 19th hole and drinks with my friends even more!

7.  I also play pickleball and competitive indoor badminton.  I won a medal in Senior Olympics in badminton.  

8.  I enjoy yoga, hiking, and water exercise, They help to keep me somewhat fit.  In fact, I had a routine primary care doctor appointment yesterday.  My doctor told me twice during the appointment that my blood work and examination indicated I would live to be 100 whether I wanted to or not!  

9.  I was rear-ended in an automobile accident in 2007.  Since that time I have had trouble reading, perhaps due to brain injury, and now I can only read a few minutes at a time. Despite this reading problem I enjoy reading and read every day.   

10.   I am a Steve Liskow fan, and I have read all 8 of the books he is selling on Amazon.  I recommend Steve's work if you enjoy crime mysteries.  He is a really good writer.  I especially love his dialogues.  And Steve can describe a charcter in two sentences so that you would know them if you ran into them in Walmart.  I hope I meet Steve at the reunion.  

11.  I'm going to take a break from writing this and come back later to finish.  Tough day.  

But just to keep this going, I tag Connie Sparks Clark, Mary Ann Gorney Scanlon, Ellen Priebe, Rick Myron, and Diane Terrian.  

Patricia Genske (Premo)

I have been challenged by Lee Wright, probably the only one on here who remembers me...

1.  Jesus Christ is my Lord and Savior.

2.  I never went to college...only the school of hard knocks where I learned a lot along the way.

3.  I worked for Dow Chemical for over 34 years as an office professional (a.k.a. secretary).  Loved every year of it.  Retired in 2002.

4.  Have been married three times...divorced the first husband, buried the second (he died of cancer) and tell the third he is on "grace."

5.  Have three wonderful sons ages 39, 33, and 32.  They are all successful men with good careers and families.  

6. I have lived in Beaverton, MI for the past 28 years. I love this small town.  Almost everyone knows everyone!

7.  My last husband and I raised belgian draft horses for many years.  At one time we had 22.  I had to sell most of them when he died.   My two youngest sons were juniors in high school at the time and stepped up to the plate and cared for the ones we kept.  We showed them at the local fairs in Gladwin, Harrison and Mt. Pleasant.  

8.  I have reduced to only one pet at this time.  My cat named Riley because I rescued him from the local animal shelter and he now lives "The Life of Riley" with me.  

9. I grew up in Shields and feel bad when traveling thru there because our old homestead is now a place of business.  

10.  I was very shy in school and not so much today.  I now stand up for myself.

11. Since I've been retired I do volunteer work.  Have worked at a local mission, helped with food truck, worked with Back Pack Buddies program.  So many adults and children go hungry in this country.  It is a shame.  Also on several committees at church.  Have been on our church council for about 18 years!

12.  Every one in school thought Ed, Gary and I were triplets.  We're not.  Ed and Gary are twins and I'm 9 months and 4 days older than them.  You figure it out (hint...we were probably the first Brady Bunch family...).

13.  My favorite hobbies are quilting, knitting, crocheting and reading.  

14. My first car was a VW, but my favorite car was my 1968 fire engine red Mercury Cougar XR7.  It could really travel!  Currently I drive a GMC Terrain...sedate for an old lady.  BUT...I still want to someday own a Camero!

15.  25 is too many things to write...this is taxing my brain so I'll stop here.  

I now challenge all my other old friends who attended Shields and were then bussed into Arthur Hill! 

Mark Fischer (Fischer)

25 Useless Facts About Me, Mark Fischer

1.   I left Michigan shortly after AHHS graduation to attend college in Colorado Springs

      and have gone back only infrequently to visit family and friends and eat perch.

2.   The AHHS Class of ’65 was larger than my college graduating class; I was in the

      bottom 100.

3.  I met my wife, Nancy (from Slidell, LA) while in pilot training in Columbus, MS. I

     married up . . . waaaay up.

4.  Cap Fry was the Best Man at my wedding and I returned the favor. I can’t remember

     far enough back when Cap wasn’t my best friend; I’ve been fortunate to attend all 3

     of his kid’s weddings.

5.  We have 3 lovely, talented daughters and 4 terrific grandchildren.

6.  I flew the first med-evac mission into Managua, Nicaragua after the 1972

     earthquake.

7.  We had some Iranian students when I instructed in pilot training, before the 

     revolution in Iran. I sometimes think of them and wonder if they’re still alive.

8.  Does anyone else in the Class of ’65 have time above 70,000 feet? I have a bunch

     of it as a U-2 pilot for 11 years. 

9.  A compulsive/excessive runner for many years, I ran 13 marathons (Boston 1987)

     and countless other shorter races.

10. I had a daVinci radical prostatectomy (prostate cancer) at Virginia Mason Hospital in

      Seattle in 2007. Cancer free since.

11. I flew the first photo mission over Mt. St. Helens after its eruption.

12. I love to read.

13. Two days after Christmas in 1979 the Northern Lights were out when I flew a U-2

      from Northern California to England (10 hours and 41 minutes . . . a long time to sit 

      in one chair). At 65,000+ feet the Lights were above, below and around me for about

      5 hours; the most amazing light show EVER.

14. I lived for nearly 2 years on the southern most part of Cyprus at Royal Air Force

      Akrotiri. Flying a few feet above the Eastern Mediterranean (altimeter reading below

      sea level) at 400 knots (460 mph) will get it going for ya.

15. My wife and I canoed the AuSable shortly after our marriage and did so again 42

      years later.

16. We lived in Seattle for 17 years while I flew airplanes for Alaska Airlines.

17. Our daughters all graduated from the University of Washington. The Wolverines play

      the Huskies at Husky Stadium in 2020, Kirk.

18. We live in rural Central Montana where it’s very cold in the winter and we don’t wimp

       out and go south to escape. Are we tough or crazy?

19. While Challenger (Space Shuttle) was under construction at Site 1 at Air Force Plant 

      42 in Palmdale, CA, I got to climb around in the cargo bay. I was next door at Site 2

      working in U-2 Flight Test.

20. When you stand in the door of the flight deck wishing people a “good day” as they

      get off your flight, you sometimes wonder if we’re all the same species.

21. My wife and I visited Cap and Jane Fry when they lived in Virginia in the early ‘70s                                                                     

     (we lived in NJ). We splurged for dinner and bought prime rib for 1.09/lb to roast in the

      oven in their apartment.

22. Gordie Howe and his wife were the only 2 people in First Class on a flight from San

      Jose to Portland early one morning after the All Star Hockey game. I went back and

      introduced myself to one of my childhood heroes (Al Kaline was the other). Mr. 

      Howe and his wife were exceptionally gracious. Is there anything better than

      shaking hands with Mr. Hockey . . . no . . .  no there is not.

23. My neighbor (1 mile away) and I have a shooting range on his place where we shoot

      rifles to 1425 yards.

24. I am acrophobic and had to jump off of a 10 meter tower every other day for 6

      weeks while in college (survival swimming). The longest 6 weeks of my life.

25. I am blessed to have lived a wonderful life.

Marlene Melcher

WOW!!!  I am so impress with what our class has done over the years.... it is so much fun reading everyone's post.  THANK YOU Karen for getting this going....  I was very hesitant to start... but glad I did and it just kept going from there....  Looking forward to reading more...

IF you have not been challenged... please add your 25... we'd love to hear what you have been up to!

Marlene

Diane Terrian (Nichols)

1.  lived in Saginaw all my life, still live in Saginaw Township and probably always will since my whole family still lives in Michigan.

2.  I married Gary Nichols in 1968 (Buena Vista HS, class of 1966) and we will celebrate 48 years in March, 2016. 

3.  We have enjoyed many Caribbean and Hawaiian cruises, Punta Cana and Mexico resort vacations.

4.  My husband and I remain in good health aside from normal aging.  He did suffer a heart attack in 2008 but is doing very well after placement of 6 stents.

5.  Began working at Saginaw General Hospital (now Covenant HealthCare) in 1969 when my husband left for Viet Nam.  I worked 44 years as a Pathology medical secretary.

6.  Retired in February, 2013 and loving it!

7.  I work harder now, helping to care daily for twin great nieces and their 8 month old brother.  I wouldn't trade if for the world.  They do keep me young!

8.  My husband and I do not have children.

9.  I did not really enjoy high school very much.

10.  I still get together yearly with Penny Crampton and Glenna Jordan following the holidays.  We used to go out for dinner but found in more recent years we really enjoy meeting for breakfast.  We consume a lot of coffee.  They are still the same great friends they used to be. 

11.  I was engaged to marry Ed Schell, (AHHS, class of 1964).  I'm sure many may remember him.  He was killed in Viet Nam in 1967.

12.  I hate Michigan winters.

13.  Not fond of hot, humid summers.

14.  I feel embarrassed when classmates recognize me and I don't have a clue!

15.  I still can't swim and actually  have a fear of the water.

16.  However, I enjoy the peacefulness of being near a river, lake, ocean or pool.

17.  I love to shop!  We take many day trips down state specifically to shop at some popular malls and to have a nice dinner at one of their great restaurants.

18.  I was in choir in church and high school, but I still can't sing, just enjoy the music!

19.  My husband has taken over all the cooking and I do the clean up.  I do not object to this arrangement!

20.  My favorite spot in Michigan is Traverse City.  We have been known to drive there for a cup of coffee or just have a glass of wine.

21.  I love to drink wine!  Cabernet by choice.

22.  I lost both of my parents in 2013, 53 days apart.  I am still recovering from that.

23.  Autumn in Michigan is my favorite season.

24.  I continue to color my hair.  How long can a senior lady do that?

25.  I will not be attending the 50th class reunion, but I send my very best wishes to everyone.  I love my life, but, by comparison, my 25 things are quite boring!

I challenge Penny Crampton, Glenna Jordan, Mary Kay Pelkey, Marti Meier and Nancy Alles. 

James Longhurst (Longhurst)

Kirk, you are probably right.  Do you remember how specifically it came to be "Jombie"?

Kirk O'Keefe

Jim, can't remember...just that we had a lot of fun!

Susan M. Culver (Symkowiak)

25 things about Sue Culver Symkowiak that you might not know

1. Graduated from CMU in 1970.
2. Had a cottage on Manistee Lake in Kalkaska County for 10 years.
3. Spent working life in education in East Peoria, IL.
4. Bought our first sailboat in 1979.  
5. Made the trip from Peoria to Michigan about 20 times a year.
6. Have had MSU season football tickets since 1989, Go Green.
7. Retired and moved to Gaylord 2002.
8. After retirement we spent July and August on our 3rd sailboat.
9. We have a daughter, son-in-law & 2 grandsons aged 16 & 13.
10.Sold the boat in 2012.
11.Went back to tent camping.
12.Love camping and fly fishing in Montana and Wyoming.
13.Love winter sports.
14.Broke my femur in 2006 skiing.
15.Went back to skiing in 2008.
16.Had hip replacement in February this year.
17.Spent June in Paris this year.
18.Went to the 24 Hours of Le Mans auto race in June this year. 
19. Would definitely go back to the race.
20. I volunteer at the Gaylord Arts Council for the Arts.
2I.  Love studying art history.
22.Belong to Gaylord’s Edelweiss Garden Club.
23.Love gardening and being outdoors.
24.Have been President of 3 different organizations.
25. Go the the gym 3-4 days a week.

Kirk O'Keefe

GO BLUE!

Randy Hillman (Hillman)

25 Things - Randy Hillman

1.   I am happy, healthy and love being retired.

2.   I went to Delta and Wayne State after graduation from AHHS.

3.   I married my college sweetheart and have been happily married for 47 years.

4.   I have been blessed with two great sons, their wonderful spouses and two aweseome           grandchildren.

5.  I have a large loving extended family and great circle of friends.

6.  I enjoyed working in sales and marketing for the Bayer Corporation for 45 years.  Remember to take a Bayer aspirin every day!

7.   I have lived in six states, MI, MN, OH, CA, WA and TX.

8.  I am currently living in The Woodlands, TX and have been a Texan for 15 years y'all!  And yes, I love TX BBQ and country music.

9.  I experienced the CA Northridge earthquake.

10.  I also exerienced two major hurricanes, Katrina and Ike.

11.   I swam in the Amazon river with pink dolphins and piranha.

12.  I survived three days alone on an isolated island off the coast of Maine with no food or shelter on an Outward Bound adventure.

13.  I love to travel and have been to 5 continents, 55 countries and all 50 sates.

14.  I love to cruise and won my first cruise on the Price is Right and I have been on 50 cruises since.

15.  I am a million mile flyer on three different airlines.

16.  I have spent more than 1,500 nights at Marriott hotels.

17.  I like to golf, swim, bike, garden, watch sports and enjoy a good beer.

18.  I enjoy cheering in the stands for my grandkids at their events.

19.  I am still a MI sports fan but only when the teams are winning!

20. I visit Saginaw at least once a year and eat a Tony's steak sandwich. (didn't it use to be steak?)

21.  I sometimes ask relatives in Saginaw to mail me Spatz's bread.

22.  I volunteer at my church and at a local food bank twice a week.

23.  I love shopping at Costco and bought my last car from them.

24. I am still working on my bucket list and last week in Alaska I zip-lined for the first time.

25. I wish y'all a happy and healthy future

I challenge Ross Butzin (AGAIN), Jim McLeod, Cop Fry, Barb Schnell and Jim Hollingsworth for a 50 year update.

Kirk O'Keefe

Tony's was never steak, used to be cubed steak, not sure what now. Been a few years since I had one! Great bread!

Ross Alan Butzin

25 things............hmmmmmmmmmmmm

1. Been married to Paula Markos for 46 years.

2.Have 3 great kids: Jenny, Jerry and Jon. They still ask for money

3.Have seven grandkids. They are woinderful and I love them all. They ask for money too.

4.Worked 41 years for ATT, Mmichigan Bell, Ameritech, Sprint, IPCS, Got layed off at ATT after 31 years. Best thiing in my work life that ever happened.

5.Randy Hillman and I are brother-in-laws which he failed to mention. I think there is a message in that...hmmm

6. Kirk O"keffe and I are cousins but more like brothers these days.

7. I fish with Kirk whenever I can get to Florida or when he comes to Mi.

8. Did I mention that I love to fish.

9 I love to read.

10. I love the movies and going out to dinner and my dr. told to skip dinner and do the moves with no popcorn..

11. Did I mention that I'm deaf and my doctor doesn't know it. (Just kidding)

12. I have a guitar,harmonica,and a keyboard and I cannot play any of them.

13. I love to sing.

14. I sang at Kirk O"Keefes wedding in Florida.

15. I sang at my oldest son Jerry"s wedding too.

16. I have sung in various churches of which most I have not been invited back.......hmmmm

17.I recently joined a Methodist church and I  never realized that Methodist's are so doggone smart.I love church by the way.

18. I love all kinds of sports.

19. Played slo-pitch softball with Kirk years ago for the Scottish Inn. Slo-pitch was seven innings  and the Scottish was always a doubleheader.

20. I love to cook. My youngest is a great cook and  he helps me out.

21. I have bowled a 299 and a 300 game.

22.I have a dog named Sadie and I love her too.

23. I have a soft heart for animals

24. I recently lost 16lbs. (see #10)

25. Oh yeah, I almost forgot, I love to go to the casino.

26. Love music. Have it on almost all the time

Christine M. Dankert (Smith)

25 life altering facts that are pretty mundane.  Here goes.

1.   I don't remember a lot from school, although I loved HS.  If anyone has a good story about me, let me know!

2.   I am trying to get my (auto) biography written by all my friends before I forget completely everything.

3.   Being an exchange student to Sweden changed my life. I made several continuing friendships.  We have traveled back and forth to this day, and now are enjoying friendships with their children.  My friend AnnBritt, who is a special news reporter for SVT, occasionally flies over for stories and we catch up on everything.

4.   I met my husband Karl in Ottawa, Kansas (home of Steve Grogan) where we went to college and we got married in 67 after he graduated.  He spent his life in Education- teaching, administration, then charter schools, and finally as an adjunct prof at several universities.

5.   I taught HS science until our children arrived.  I have three boys, and you know when you say their ages outloud, then you really know you are old.  So I am whispering:  Aaron is almost 41, Adam almost 38, and Nate is 35.  I have 4 grand girls, and one grandson.

6.   Nate, the youngest, has Down syndrome and lives in a group home about 10 minutes from me.  He likes to keep in contact so he calls about 5 times a day.  No wonder I have a phone phobia!  He has a great sense of humor, and would make a great activites director for a cruise ship. He goes to church with me and we both sing in the choir.  He could live on Subway, soda, ketchup, and Frostys.

7.   In 1976 I started taking stenciling classes that morphed into home parties.  I started with Hitchcock stencils so I probably have 10 pounds of gold and silver powders settled in my kidneys.  (your arm was your pallet).

8.   In 1986 I started taking faux finish classes, and since that time have worked with many talented people Keeping up in that field requires continuing ed, so each year has brought new trends, techniques, including classes at Rhode Island School of Design. My portfolio now includes besides stenciling (no-no-no hearts or ducks please) faux bois, trompe l'oeil, murals, cabinet refinishing, venetian and decorative plasters, gilding and more.  You are welcome to check out my FB Business page at  facebook.com/fauxpainter1.  This address is not embedded, I don't know how to do that.

9.   In 1997 I made my first trip with a painting team to work on Naworth Castle in England.  Have been back twice now with plans to go again next year. (The Earl loves us)

10.  I love being on the east coast.  I moved here in 1970.  We finally bought a cottage on West Island, in Fairhaven, MA to remodel as a year-round home.  Several months later my husband passed away unexpectedly.  Now I am trying to be a subcontractor and get the cottage ready for year round living,  Can't wait to sell my house, although I will miss it so much.  One foot in front of the other.  That's how it is done.

11. I don't think I have one piece of clothing without paint, plaster or dye on it.  I have vowed to stay off scaffolding at this point, but I love to create and it's hard to say no to an exciting job.  As soon as I hit "submit" I will probably think of 5 or 6 really interesting things to post.  All for now, I have to go order windows for the cottage. 

PS.  I was going to be a U-2 pilot like Mark, but there wasn't enough room in the cockpit for my legs!  Looking forward to the reunion.

Sharyl (Sherri) Spatz (Kusowski)

Kirk O'Keefe

I give Ross BUTZIN fishing LESSONS every time we go😎

Peggy O. Ostrander (Capobianco)

I am Peggy Ostrander.I will try to think of 25 things about myself.

1--I didn't go to college because my father didn't believe in women going.We were suppose to get

married and have children.

2--I married in 1967 to Sinclair Savage.He was 14 years older than me.

3--We never had any children but I have 4 step daughters and many step grand children.

4--We traveled thru 42 states and Canada and Mexico on a motorcycle.Our first was a BSA,then a Triumph

and then we got class and rode a full dressed Goldwing.

5--We were members of the Scavengers motor cycle club during the late 60's when there were the motorcycle

club wars.Very scary but also interesting.Would not want to repete that time.Too old .

6--My husband and a friend started the Goldwing Touring club in 1977.We had a ball riding with the club and 

touring Michigan .

7--We moved to Colorado in 1983 and loved it here.

8-We toured the areas ,camped in the mountains fished,it was like a vacation every weekend.

9--My husband retired in 1997 because of bad health.

10-He died 3 days after Christmas in 2003.

11-I met Frank Capobianco in 2011 and we married in 2013.We look like mutt and jeff as I am 5 foot

and Frank is 6 foot 2 inches.I guess I am a cougar as Frank is 8 years younger.

12-Our hobbies include restoring a 1964 GTO convertable,model trains,gardening,traveling ,and spoiling

his son ,daugher-in-law and grandson with another on the way.

13-I retired in 2012 from a janitorial firm where I worked 29 years as a supervisor.I love retirement

but am busier than when I worked.

14-I raised Boston terriers and still have 2 that are 15 years old

15-I go back to Saginaw about every 2 years to visit my brother and 3 sisters.but Colorado is home

I can't think of much more.I did hear that Saginaw is going to close Saginaw High and their

students will bus to Arthur Hill.That wiil be very interesting as to the out come.I can't see them getting along.

I challenge others to join the fun of this .